Don't get pregnant.
That's the advice given to women by the governments of Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and El Salvador in light of a possible link between the Zika virus, which is spreading in those countries, and a birth defect called microcephaly, which results in an abnormally small head and possible brain damage. Brazil has reported thousands of cases of microcephaly since the outbreak began there last spring; researchers are trying to determine whether the virus is the cause.
One thing is certain: The outbreak has sparked a public debate about issues of contraception and abortion.
More than half of pregnancies in Latin America are not planned. In this heavily Roman Catholic part of the world, women don't always have access to modern methods of contraception, and abortion may be restricted (see chart).
Use Of Contraceptives And Abortion Laws In Countries Affected By Zika
But even if abortion is a legal option in a Zika-affected country, it's not always possible for a pregnant woman to know whether the fetus is affected. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, microcephaly "might be detected as early as 18 to 20 weeks" into a pregnancy by ultrasound but "can be challenging" to detect.